Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Souping, Sweping, vbl. n. Also: soupeing, sowp(e)ing, souppin(g, supyne, swoping, -yng, swouping, suowp-, swowpyne, (scoupping), sweiping, sueip-, suip-, sweipp-, sweepe-, sweepping, (syeppyn). [e.m.E. swepyng (1480); Soup v.³]

1. The action or task of sweeping; cleaning (out) or tidying by use of a brush, etc.; also an instance of this.(1) 15… Reg. Soltre 213.
The sacrister … sall hald the kyrk in all honeste in supyne and vthyr honeste as wes wynt(b) a1500 Henr. Fab. 76 (Bann.).
Swopyne(2) 1590 Mill Mediæv. Plays 199.
For soupeing the calsayis(b) 1652 Stirling B. Rec. II 315.
To the officars for sueiping the tolbuith and counsell house and cleansing them 1678 Sc. Ant. IX 105.
For suiping all our chimbles 1698 Foulis Acc. Bk. 243.
To the sutiemen for sweiping 6 lums in the lodging(3) a1500 Henr. Fab. 74 (Ch.).
To swoping [Bann. swopyne, Makc. swoppyng, H. sweping] of the hous thay tak na tent 1553–4 Edinb. B. Rec. II 350.
Wattering and soupping of the kirk 1555–6 Edinb. Old Acc. II 58.
For sowping of the kirkyard 1556 Perth Guildry p. 301 (17 April).
To the pynour … for sowping and dichting of the gaittis of the marcattis 1565–6 Edinb. Old Acc. I 503.
For busomes and walter and souping of the tolbuith 1571–2 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. VII 63.
Souppin 1629 Edinb. B. Rec. VII 61.
Sudden fyires does often tymes arise in defalt of the nichtboures in nott souping of thair chymnayes 1643 Glasgow Trades House 230.
For sowping of the lumheid(b) 1560 Edinb. Old Acc. II 94.
Bussumyis for scoupping of the kirk flure(c) a1500 Henr. Fab. 70.
Ane cok … Scraipand amang the as … fand ane iolie iasp … Wes castin furth in sweping [Bann. suowpyne, Makc. swopyng] of the hous 1631 Buccleuch Household Bk. 29 Oct.
For sweiping of the windows and jeastis 1664 Conv. Burghs III 575.
For sueiping of their meiting hous 1685 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 581.
For sweepping of sixteen lume heids 3 l. 4 s.(4) 1508 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 157.
For the tolbutht swovping j d. 1520 Stirling B. Rec. I 6.
The gait syeppyn was set to Robert Arnot for xviij merkis

2. pl. That which is swept up; dust, refuse, sweepings.(a) 1619 Reg. Privy C. XI 531.
That na nychtbours lay thair middingis, souppingis of thair housis, nor no uther filthe upoun his nichtbouris boundis 1665 Glasgow Merchants House 124.
That nether he nor his tennents of his heigh landes cast out any stroe, soupings or rubish out of windowes therof 1667 Glasgow Merchants House 128.
Sowpeings 1692 Musselburgh 38.
[The millers] not [to] take the soupings of the … milne for their oun use(b) 1631 Buccleuch Household Bk. 22 Nov.
Payed to the ase man for carrying ase and sweipingis of the hous 1634 Peebles Gleanings 162.
Ordanes the calsay upone Peblis brig to be outred, and the sweipings thairof and of Tueid brig to be set 1647 Glasgow B. Rec. II 120.
To buy ane hors to be imployeit in drawing furthe of foule cloathes and sweipings 1679 Edinb. B. Rec. X 365.
The councill … [discharges] the inhabitants … to cast furth any maner of excrements or sweippings upon the … middings in the streits

b. specif. = Soup n.¹ 4. 1677 Mint Melting Journals 3b (3 April).
More in heads and sweepeings [sc. of silver] 00. 05. 05. 00